Ex-UConn star Jones can’t wait to make Miami debut
Former UConn defensive back Byron Jones made plenty of news back in March when he became the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. Now the New Britain native is getting to work in his first training camp with the Miami Dolphins.
The 27-year-old Jones has taken a liking to the scheme run by the Dolphins, which will give him a chance for plenty of man-to-man coverage.
"In terms of our defensive style, it seems like we are more man (coverage) which is fine, we have the corners for it, we have the secondary for it. I am used to being out there guarding receivers, running around with tight ends, slot receivers, Xs and Zs," Jones said on a video conference call with the media on Thursday.
"It was a big reason why I was brought here to build on an already good secondary. We have really good young players, we have good players who have been here in the past so really I am just another piece to the puzzle in terms of a really excellent Dolphins secondary. Hopefully, we will have X (Xavien Howard) back. As soon as he gets back we want to make sure he is fully healthy, we are not going to rush him at all but we are good, we are a good team up and down the roster."
Jones, who became the second UConn product taken in the first round of the NFL draft when Dallas made him the 27th overall pick in 2015, played safety for three seasons, but thrived when he moved to cornerback in 2018. He earned a Pro Bowl berth in his first season as a starting cornerback.
Joining one of the NFL's youngest teams, Jones is not only looking to make an impact on the field, but also provide leadership.
It's very early in the process thanks to COVID-19 related delays in the start of camp, but the early returns are promising.
"He is a tough player, I think he can tackle, (has) good cover skills, he has length, he has some leadership qualities," Dolphins coach Brian Flores said. "He is a talented player, we are happy to have him. Obviously there is some improvement he can make to his game like all players and like all coaches ... like everyone, we can all improve and get better but we are pleased with him so far."
Jones is expected to team with Howard to give Miami one of the top cornerback tandems in the NFL, but Howard was placed on the reserve/ COVID-19 list earlier this week.
Jones, who has two interceptions in 79 career NFL games, is looking to follow Howard's lead as his fellow cornerback has 12 interceptions in 40 games over the last four seasons, including seven in 12 games in 2018.
"We both excel at playing man coverage, I think he excels at attacking the ball better than me so that is something I am learning from," Jones said.
Jones has been working with defensive assistants during special teams practice periods to work on high-pointing the ball and learning to locate the ball over each shoulder.
Jones said he is driven more by his expectations than any comparisons to other NFL cornerbacks.
"Truthfully, I pay very little attention to outside noise, to outside attention, because we are all different, we all play in different schemes, we all play in different systems," Jones said. "It is very hard to compare. It is a fun game for fans, no question, but for me, I focus on making sure my craft is the best it can be with my eyes, my feet, my tackling, I just choose to focus my attention on myself. That has how I've been since I was young and I want to keep that same mentality."